E-numbers / Thickeners & emulsifiers / E436
also: Polyoxyethylene sorbitan tristearate · Tween 65 · POE (20) sorbitan tristearate
A synthetic emulsifier made from sorbitol and stearic acid, used to keep fats and water blended in ice cream, cream liqueurs and coatings.
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Estimated toddler intake of all polysorbates combined can reach the group acceptable daily intake.
Why it’s worth knowing. Estimated toddler intake of all polysorbates combined can reach the group acceptable daily intake. Research on related polysorbates suggests this class of emulsifier may alter gut bacteria and reduce the protective lining of the gut at doses closer to permitted levels than previously thought.
Polysorbate 65 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan tristearate) is a synthetic emulsifier produced by reacting sorbitol with stearic acid and then adding ethylene oxide chains. It belongs to the polysorbate family (E432-E436), a group of closely related food emulsifiers that share the same core chemistry and are assessed together by regulators.
It acts as an emulsifier, keeping oil and water mixed together in food products that would otherwise separate. It also functions as a stabiliser in aerated products, helping to control ice crystal formation in ice cream and keeping coatings smooth and uniform. It works by sitting at the boundary between fat and water droplets, reducing surface tension so the two stay blended.
Ice cream and frozen desserts, cream liqueurs and alcoholic drink mixes, coffee whiteners, whipped toppings, edible coatings for confectionery and bakery goods, and chewing gum. On a UK label it appears as either 'E436' or 'polysorbate 65'.
EFSA's 2015 re-evaluation set a group ADI of 25 mg/kg body weight per day for all polysorbates together (E432-E436 combined). When dietary exposure was modelled for children who regularly consumed many different foods containing polysorbates, estimated toddler intake reached 24.5 mg/kg bw/day in the high-consumption scenario, leaving almost no margin below the group limit. This is an exposure signal, not a finding of harm at real intake levels, but it is the reason regulators keep this group under active review.
EFSA set a group ADI of 25 mg/kg bw/day for polysorbates E432-E436 using a NOAEL of 2,500 mg/kg bw/day from a long-term rat study, applying a 100-fold uncertainty factor.
In the high-consumption (non-brand-loyal) scenario, estimated toddler exposure to polysorbates reached 24.5 mg/kg bw/day, approaching the group ADI of 25 mg/kg bw/day.
Laboratory and human studies on polysorbate 80 (E433), the most extensively studied polysorbate, suggest that this class of emulsifier may disrupt the gut's protective mucus layer, alter the composition of gut bacteria, and increase gut permeability at concentrations closer to permitted food levels than earlier animal studies indicated. Polysorbate 65 shares the same polysorbate backbone as polysorbate 80 and the other approved family members, so this research is directly relevant. However, polysorbate 65 itself has not been the subject of the same volume of direct human investigation, so the transferability of findings is not fully established.
Polysorbate 20 and polysorbate 80 directly impaired gut epithelial barrier integrity and triggered proinflammatory signalling at doses roughly 20 times below currently authorised food levels, in gut epithelial cell models.
In a dynamic gut microbiota model, polysorbate 80 altered microbial composition in a dose-dependent manner, reducing anti-inflammatory species such as Akkermansia and Bacteroides dorei while increasing bacteria with proinflammatory capacity.
A placebo-controlled randomised trial examining five dietary emulsifiers found measurable effects on gut permeability and microbiome composition in adult participants, with polysorbate 80 among the agents assessed.
People aiming to minimise synthetic emulsifier intake, particularly parents of young children who eat many products containing polysorbates, may want to check labels and track combined exposure across E432-E436. Polysorbate 65 is derived from sorbitol and stearic acid (typically from animal or vegetable fat), so the vegan status depends on the stearic acid source. Look for 'E436' or 'polysorbate 65' on the label.
The science on the polysorbate family is moving. The 2015 EFSA re-evaluation found the additives acceptable at current permitted levels but flagged that toddler intake can reach close to the group limit. Since then, a body of research on polysorbate 80 in particular has raised questions about whether the gut effects of this emulsifier class occur at lower concentrations than earlier animal studies suggested. Most of that research is on polysorbate 80, not polysorbate 65 directly, and the extent to which findings transfer across the family is not yet settled. The EFSA opinion does not represent a final word: as newer RCT and mechanistic data accumulate, regulators may revisit permitted levels or categorise exposure more precisely. This is live science.
No. E436 (polysorbate 65) is a permitted food additive in the UK under the assimilated EU Regulation 1333/2008 retained after Brexit. It appears on the UK FSA's approved-additives list.
Research on polysorbate 80, the most studied member of the same family, suggests polysorbates may alter gut bacteria and reduce the integrity of the gut's protective lining. Specific studies directly investigating polysorbate 65 are limited. Regulators have noted that combined polysorbate intake in toddlers can approach the acceptable group limit.
Ice cream, frozen desserts, cream liqueurs, coffee whiteners, whipped toppings, confectionery coatings, fine bakery products, and some flavoured alcoholic drinks. It is listed on the label as 'E436' or 'polysorbate 65'.
Not reliably. Polysorbate 65 is made using stearic acid, which can come from animal fat (tallow) or vegetable oils. The source is not required to be declared on UK food labels, so it is not possible to confirm vegan status without contacting the manufacturer.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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